


When Love is Like Pulling Teeth

by CaliforniaQueen



Series: Totally MFEO [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Only rated T because I toss the fuck word around like confetti, See what I did there, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26225005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaliforniaQueen/pseuds/CaliforniaQueen
Summary: A work based on this prompt from Reylo Prompts on Twitter:Curious Cat Prompt:Han sends Rey his favorite mechanic to pick up his son Ben after a dental operation. High on meds, normally arrogant and cold Ben becomes quite the chatterbox.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Totally MFEO [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926586
Comments: 123
Kudos: 513





	When Love is Like Pulling Teeth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hellyjellybean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellyjellybean/gifts).



> For the Queen of Fluff who inspires us all, Hellyjellybean.
> 
> Thank you for the cutie moodie, Helen!! 💗💗💗

  
  
Rey sat on the soft leather sofa in Ben’s living room, her eyes darting from the brick fireplace complete with happy family photos lining the mantle to the framed artwork on the walls and rows of plants under the large window. Afternoon sunlight spilled over everything it touched, chasing away just enough of the September chill to make the room comfortable. 

Rey, in contrast, was completely _uncomfortable_. 

Her leg bounced anxiously as she chewed her thumbnail and she sat thinking about what had happened over the last two hours. Her stomach was tied in knots and she was sure she would need a massage soon—her shoulders were nearly in her ears. Maybe she could get Han to pay for that. Lord knew he owed her after the day she’d had so far. 

She startled at the sound of Ben’s ridiculously loud snorts and huffs coming from his bedroom just down the hall. She had never known anyone who snored with such dramatic violence. Rey supposed it had something to do with the anesthesia. She was pretty sure everything that had happened since she had seen him in the dentist’s office was due to the anesthesia and because of that, she was incredibly depressed. 

But what if it wasn’t?

She groaned, letting her head drop into her hands as thoughts whirled around in her head.

What the hell was she going to do?

* * *

**_TWO HOURS EARLIER_ **

“Rey, please. I’m up to my neck in this damn transmission. I was supposed to pick him up five minutes ago. They’ve already called twice. Please just do this for me and I’ll give you an extra day off next week.”

Han Solo looked up at Rey from the car he was working on and gave her that look that he frequently gave his wife, Leia. A pleading, puppy dog look that made Leia roll her eyes while giving in to his pathetic pleas. Rey found herself rolling her eyes in automatic response, knowing full well she would give in just as easily. Who would turn down an extra day off just for picking up the boss’s kid from the dentist to take him home?

If only the boss’s kid were an _actual_ kid, it would make Rey’s life a whole lot easier. But this _kid_ was over six feet tall, thirty years old, intimidating beyond belief, could probably bench press her if he wanted to (not that Rey ever imagined that, no sir), and had never even given her the time of day.

Ben Fucking Solo. 

The prettiest man she’d ever seen close up, who also made her feel completely invisible. She’d had a crush on him for nearly two years, ever since she started working at _Millenium,_ Han’s foreign car auto repair shop. She’d done everything she could to get Ben’s attention short of flashing her tits in his face and propositioning him. And nothing. She had resigned herself to the fact that he wasn’t interested and she should leave it at that. 

And here was his father, begging her to pick him up after oral surgery, drive him home, and maneuver the giant man into his apartment somehow. She couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do _less_.

She sighed. 

“Fine,” she grumbled. “But if I have to do this, I’m taking the rest of the day off, too. I’ll probably need worker’s comp after dragging his ass in and out of my car.”

“Deal,” Han agreed. He went back to what he was doing and called out to Rey as she was leaving, “You’re the best, Rey!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

It was a quick drive to the dentist’s office and Rey wasted no time throwing the car in park and jogging in through the office door. If she was going to do this, she’d want it over with as quickly as possible. Maybe she’d use her afternoon off to nap, read a book, or catch up on one of those Netflix shows Rose had been bugging her to watch. 

She walked up to the receptionist and greeted her with a friendly smile. 

“Hi there. I’m here to pick up Ben Solo. Is he ready?”

“Oh boy, is he ever,” the receptionist answered, cryptically. Rey frowned in confusion and followed as the receptionist, Kaydel according to her name tag, beckoned her down the hall to an exam room. 

“He’s been asking over and over for someone named Ray,” Kaydel said over her shoulder. “He was getting pretty upset. Is it a pet or something?”

“What?” Rey wasn’t sure she heard her right. She picked up her pace to catch up with Kaydel, following her into an exam room. When she made eye contact with Ben, Rey gave him the same generic friendly smile she had given Kaydel, accompanied by a small wave, and froze in complete horror as Ben immediately, without preamble, burst into tears. 

“Ben? Are you ok?” Turning to Kaydel she asked, “Is he ok?”

“He’s fine,” Kaydel reassured her. “He’s pretty out of it from the anesthesia and the pain meds.”

“I’m dead!” he wailed. “Oh god, I’m dead!” Fat tears squeezed out of his eyes and rolled down his swollen cheeks, puffed from gauze and the trauma of having his wisdom teeth removed.

“You’re not dead, Ben, you’re ok. Try to relax.” Kaydel was calm and cool in the situation, and Rey assumed she had seen this type of behavior numerous times before. Rey, however, was horrified. Her heart went out to him. He sounded so pitiful. 

“I know I’m dead because Rey is an angel and she’s here. She’s a beautiful angel and I’m dead!” He continued, shoulders shaking with heavy hiccuping sobs. 

“What the fuck,” Rey whispered to herself, and catching Kaydel’s disapproving look gave her an apologetic grimace. “Sorry.”

“Ben, let’s get you up so _Rey_ can take you home, ok?” Kaydel chirped, a gleam in her eye realizing Rey—R E Y—was not a beloved pet. She grabbed Ben by his arm and urged him to sit up.

“Rey? Are you taking me to heaven?” Ben snuffed, staring earnestly at her. If the situation weren’t so uncomfortably weird, Rey would have laughed. 

“No, Ben,” she soothed. “I’m going to drive you home.”

Ben responded with a fresh wave of tears and Rey’s heart squeezed in sympathy. 

“What’s wrong now?” she asked. She could hear Kaydel’s soft giggle from over where she had gathered Ben’s belongings, waiting for Rey to lead Ben out of the room. 

“You’re going to leave me at home!” Ben cried.

“Well, of course, I am. You need to go home and rest.”

“But you don’t live there and I love you and you’re going to leave me alone.” He clutched her hand in desperation and Rey laughed nervously. 

“Um…” Rey looked to Kaydel for help. What in the _actual_ fuck was going on?

“Oh this is too good,” Kaydel giggled again, louder this time. “This is the best one I’ve seen this month.”

“You’re not helping at all!” Rey huffed. Kaydel gave one final chuckle and came to help Ben stand up. 

“Come on, big guy. Let’s get you out of here.”

Kaydel put her shoulder underneath Ben’s arm and encouraged Rey to do the same on the other side. Rey reluctantly took his hand and slung his arm over her shoulder. She had prepared herself to take a little bit of his weight as he lumbered out to the parking lot. What she hadn’t prepared herself for was Ben ditching Kaydel altogether, and using both arms to lift Rey off her feet into a bear hug, loping around the office like Frankenstein’s monster with his bride. 

“Holy shit, Ben. Put me down!” Rey squealed as he led her through the door into the waiting room. Children and their parents alike stared wide-eyed at the spectacle before them and Rey could hear the office staff howling with laughter and choking out half-hearted attempts at calming Ben down.

“Take it easy, Ben. Put her down now, ok?” Kaydel said, wiping away her tears from laughing at the ridiculous scene in front of her. 

“My angel Rey. You’re like a tiny baby chicken,” he said.

“Jesus. Okay, Ben,” she tried to stay calm. “It’s time to put me down now, okay? I need to take you home.”

“Okay,” he responded with the most pathetic, hangdog expression, Rey couldn’t help but pat him on the hand to comfort him when he put her down. 

“I love you more than anything, Rey,” he sniffed.

“Ben,” she breathed shakily, on the verge of tears herself. What was happening? Why was he saying these things to her? And why did it hurt so much to hear them? “Let’s go, huh?”

Once they had finally crammed his large frame into the passenger seat of Rey’s car, she shut the door and sagged against it, exhausted with the effort of dealing with hurricane Ben. Kaydel gave her a sympathetic look and patted her arm gently. 

“Are you gonna be ok? Your boyfriend is pretty loopy. Is there someone to help you?”

“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend,” Rey answered, shaking her head. Kaydel only raised an eyebrow in response. Rey headed to the driver’s side to get in. “We’ll be fine. Thank you.”

They hadn’t made it out of the parking lot before Ben started in again, rambling on and on about the most inane things, sprinkled with undying declarations of love for her. 

“Can we get pizza before I go back to school? I want some pizza.”

_“We’re going home, Ben. You need to rest.”_

“I want to marry you and rest with you and cuddle you like a kitty cat.”

_“Try and relax, Ben.”_

“I can’t relax. They inflated my face and I’m gonna float away. You have to tie my feet down, Rey, okay?”

_“Okay, Ben.”_

“I have big feet though so my laces are big. They’re probably too big for your tiny fingers. You’re so beautiful and delicate. I told dad you should be creating tiny things with your tiny fingers instead of greasy engines. Can we go to Chuck E. Cheese?”

_“No, Ben. We’re almost home. No pizza. Just sleep.”_

“I wanna play skee ball.”

_“We can do that later.”_

“I’ll let you win and I’ll get you a stuffed Chuck E. Cheese.”

_“Mhm, sure thing.”_

“Chuck is a rat. Why do they have a rat selling pizza? That’s dirty.”

_“I have no idea.”_

“I’ll bet you’re dirty.”

_“Ben…”_

“I’m so sorry, Rey. You’re not dirty. You’re pretty and clean. My angel Rey. My Rey of sunshine. I’m too big and clumsy. Of course, you’re going to leave me at home.” Here came the tears again. Rey was ready to pull over right there and join him in a full crying jag. 

Rey’s white knuckle grip on the steering wheel was making her hands ache. It was all starting to be too much for her to take. Hearing him say these things to her—things she had only dared to dream about on the darkest, latest nights when she was so lonely she couldn’t bear it any longer—was painful. 

She pulled into the parking lot of Ben’s apartment complex, silently thanking God that Ben had the first-floor apartment. After the drama getting him out of the office, there was no way she’d be able to get him up any stairs. She pulled the parking brake and got out of the car, silently walking over to Ben’s side and trying to prepare for whatever would come next in this horrible comedy of errors. 

“Alright, Ben. You’re home. Let’s get you inside.”

“You have to carry me over the threshold because we’re married and I love you,” he giggled. 

The giggle was the final straw for Rey. 

“Ben Solo you get out of this car and walk to your door or I’m calling your mother!”

“Don’t call my mom. She said I can’t have girls over and she’ll think we’re being naughty. Shh.”

“I fucking give up,” Rey threw up her hands and proceeded to tug Ben’s arms until he complied with her and stumbled his way out of the car. She put his arm over her shoulder and guided him to his door, momentarily thrown off when he planted his face right on the top of her head and made a wheezing noise. 

“Are you...sniffing me?” 

“You smell like sunshine,” he answered and Rey’s stomach did that damn flip flop like a kid with a first crush. She was so angry at her body’s response to him that she wanted to kick him in the shins. Why couldn’t he feel this way about her? Why couldn’t he say these things and mean them?

“Give me your keys,” she muttered, trying to keep it together until she could get him to sleep, and then she could leave and feel sorry for herself on her own time.

She finally got him through the door and down the hall to his bedroom, tossing the keys on a table as she went. She sat him down on the bed and knelt to untie his shoes, pulling them off one by one as he watched, tears streaming unchecked down his face. When she finally got him under a blanket, she turned to leave and felt him reach out and grab her wrist. 

“Please don’t leave me,” he whispered, a look in his eyes that reminded her all of a sudden of his father and his puppy dog pleas. She almost laughed at it all despite how horrible she felt. 

“I won’t,” she agreed. “I’ll be here when you wake up. Just try and sleep.” She brushed his hair out of his eyes and gently squeezed his hand before leaving the room and sitting down to wait and see what would happen next. 

* * *

Rey hadn’t realized she had been dozing until she woke to the sound of groaning coming from behind her. She lifted her head off the arm of the sofa and frantically rubbed at the drool mark on the leather, hoping it wouldn’t leave a spot. Brushing her hair back from her sweaty face, she stood, straightening her clothing, and turned to meet Ben. 

“Rey? What are you doing here?” Ben questioned. 

Rey’s heart sank. So this was it, then. He didn’t remember, none of it was real, and she was a lovesick idiot who set her hopes too high on a Tuesday afternoon. She smiled wanly and explained her presence in his house. 

“I picked you up from the dentist and brought you home. Your dad couldn’t make it.”

“Oh. Okay. I feel like someone beat the shit out of me.” He gingerly pressed his fingers to his cheek and winced. The puffiness from earlier had blossomed into a garden of blooming violet bruises. He _looked_ like someone beat the shit out of him. 

“It’s not that bad. You’ll be back to being pretty in a couple of days.” Rey felt her face get hot as she realized how stupid she sounded. “I mean, um, never mind. I should go. Your pain meds are on the counter and the aftercare paperwork is next to it. Hope you feel better.”

“You think I’m pretty?” Ben asked, ignoring every other thing Rey had said. 

Rey felt hot and dizzy. She wasn’t sure this day could get any worse. 

“I, uh, what?”

“Do you,” he pointed at her, then back to himself, “think I’m pretty?”

Fuck it. 

“Yes, okay?! I’ve thought you were pretty for two years and today has been shitty because I know you didn’t mean anything you said and it hurt to hear it because it isn’t true and now I just want to go home and drink that bottle of wine I’ve been saving since my birthday.” 

Ben looked as if he were trying to remember what she was talking about. 

“What did I say?” he asked quietly. 

This was it, she could feel the tears coming. Her chin wobbled and her nose burned. She prayed she could hold off until she got in her car and got some takeout that she could cry into as she ate it in her car in the parking lot like the pathetic loser she was. 

“What did I say, Rey?” he repeated. 

“You said I was an angel,” she mumbled.

“What?”

“An angel!” she shouted. “You said that I was a beautiful angel and that I smelled like sunshine and you loved me. But,” she held up her hand to stop him from interrupting, “you also said you wanted Chuck E. Cheese, that your face was going to float away, and that I looked like a chicken. Or something. I don’t remember. It was a lot. So I’m guessing it was all because of the drugs. Anyway, I have to go.”

He slapped his hand flat against the door, stopping Rey from opening it. 

“What if I said it wasn’t?” he asked. His voice was giving her goosebumps. She was so confused.

“I don’t understand.”

“What if I said that what I said before wasn’t because of the drugs? Except for the floating chicken part.”

“That’s not what I said. I said that _you_ said your face…”

“Rey,” he chuckled, stopping her by placing his finger on her lips. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that I _do_ think you’re a beautiful angel,” he bent down and brushed his lips across her hair, breathing deeply, “and I _do_ think you smell like sunshine. And I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you two years ago walking into my dad’s shop looking for a job.”

Rey gasped in surprise, the tears flowing freely down her face. “Why didn’t you say anything? I’ve been prancing around like an idiot trying to get your attention for two years.”

“Baby, you’ve always had my attention. And I’m just a big, insecure idiot.” He gathered her in his arms as she laughed through her tears, soaking his shirt front. “Why would an angel love someone like me?”

“I do though,” she garbled into his chest. “I’m so stupidly crazy about you my friends are sick of hearing about it. We’re both so dumb.”

“I wish I could kiss you right now, but my face hurts and I’m kinda dizzy.”

“Oh shit, come sit down,” she squeaked in alarm, pulling him to the sofa. “We’ll kiss later. Promise.”

“You _are_ an angel, you know that?” he asked her as he placed his head in her lap, closing his eyes while she stroked his hair. She felt so happy she could burst as she heard him whisper as he fell asleep...

“My angel.”

* * *

The phone rang just as Han was packing things in for the day. He debated whether or not to even pick it up, but he was worried it could be Ben, or Leia needing something before he left. 

“Millennium,” he answered. 

“Han, it’s Rey.”

“Rey! How’d it go? How’s my boy?”

“He’s sleeping now, but he’s fine. I’m gonna stick around and hang out with him, just to make sure. Listen, I think I’m gonna take that day off tomorrow. I have some...uh...things I need to catch up on. You ok with that?”

“Sure kid,” Han replied, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Great! See you Thursday!”

No sooner had Han hung up than the phone rang again. Frustrated, Han snatched up the phone.

“Millennium!” he barked into the receiver. 

“Mr. Solo! I’m so glad I caught you before you went home. This is Kaydel, from Dr. Dameron’s office. You should have seen the commotion those two made in the office this morning. It was the most entertaining thing I’ve seen in weeks. I can’t believe they’ve been pining for each other for two years. But I have to know...did your plan work? Rey picking him up?”

“I’m pretty sure it did, kid. Like a charm.”


End file.
